Prince Charming
by ThePhizz
Summary: THE story that deals with Phil's past and how he met his wife.
1. I should have gone to Atlas instead

A Phil back story.

The three songs for this fic are: Peachcake's "I Fell In Love With You While Listening To My Favourite Morrissey Album', 'Stop Acting Like You Know More About the Internet Cafe Than Me' and Cold War Kid's 'Tell Me In The Morning.'

* * *

She sighed and began to run a little faster. The hoarse shouts of bandits, the clanging of metal and the 'twang' of arrows had filled the formerly quite forest. The sorceress, clad in a revealing outfit that consisted of a leather bikini and a long black cape, began to speed up, her footsteps somehow loud in her ears despite the explosion ahead of her.

The woman paused and looked for a good place to jump out and announce herself. _No, that tree was too short. Those rocks? Again, too short. Could I jump out of those bushes, confront the bandits, save whoever they were attacking and get a reward? Perfect._

She grinned and began to creep towards the bushes.

Now, the scene break. (for great justice)

* * *

Meanwhile, the bandits were indeed attacking someone, though that person didn't exactly need rescuing. Indeed, bandits were being thrown about, rusty swords and arrows dodged and loud speeches were conducted.

The aforementioned loud speeches did little damage to the bandits besides weird-ing them out and making them doubt the sanity of the large young man they had jumped. The bandits, incorrectly guessing that the guy in the plain clothes and armour had money on him, began to retreat further into the woods. The last stragglers continued to fight vainly, swinging their swords about and sending their last arrows towards the muscular man.

He easily dodged again and began another speech. As he punched another bandit into a nearby tree, he began solemnly launched into another long speech about honest work, kindness and justice. As the young man began to get to his favourite part (the kindness and justice in honest work) another voice rang out, this one much higher pitched.

"Dammit! Why did it have to be _this _bush?"

The cursing was soon followed by the sound of breaking branches and twigs, then more cursing, then murmuring. the murmuring was followed by another curse, then the yell of 'Fireball' followed by more cursing and trampling of bushes.

The bandits and large man stopped their fighting and speeches and looked at the clump of foliage that was half burnt and, most importantly, full of thorns. As they turned to glance at each other, bewildered and half convinced that it was some kind of attack that the other had planned, the owner of the high pitched voice stepped out of the shadows and thorny bushes.

The sorceress smiled, sure that they were in complete awe of her. _And why shouldn't they be_, she reasoned, trying to avoid clumps of what could only be poison ivy, _I'm not someone who can be easily ignored._ She smiled, flashed the amazed/shocked bandits a victory sign and began to laugh.

"OHOHOHOHOHOHOHOH."

Everyone, even the young man, began to cover their ears and moan. The inhuman cackling filled the air, and added with the moaning, made the monks in the nearby village run for the temple to pray for the end. Of the laughing or their lives, no one; not even the monks, knew.

Grimacing, one of the bandits, launched an arrow towards the woman, intent on stopping the horrible sound. She easily dodged it, did a back flip and managed to land besides the man she was supposed to rescue. He stared at her amazed as she laughed easily and grinned at him.

"Hey there, big guy."

The 'big guy' continued to look at her, mouth wide open.

She rolled her eyes. _Men._

"What? Too shocked by my beauty to reply properly?" She slipped her hair back, still smiling, although wryly this time.

"How did you learn to laugh like that?" His mouth was still wide open and she had to resist smacking him.

She rolled her eyes again and hoped that this guy had some decent money on him. Those thorns had been painful and she might have stepped in (sat in) some poison ivy.

"Nevermind that. Just go wait," she pointed towards the bushes, "over there."

He shrugged and walked over to the shrubbery, easily avoiding the weeds and poisonous plants. The sorceress gritted her teeth and focused on her magic. A few nice simple Flare Arrows would be enough to defeat most of the nasty smelling bandits. And if any continued to attack, she could always throw a Gaav Flare their way. _Overkill,_ she had decided long ago, _was the only way to kill._

As the disguised prince (yes, prince) stood behind the sorceress, a bandit crouched, hidden in the non-thorny bushes the sorceress had originally thought were the dangerous ones. He re-adjusted his bow, knocked an arrow,and began to pull the string back. He let the arrow fly as the woman let loose her Flare Arrows.

The young man, unscathed by thorns or any blows the bandits had tried to inflict on him, was the only one to notice the arrow headed for the scantily clad woman.

"Duck." He managed to yell as the arrow narrowly missed her.

She turned to face the bandit, beginning to mouth the words to a spell when the 'rescued' man tackled the bowman. He outweighed the man by quite a bit and was as angry as a bull being teased by alarge red circus tent. The bandit went down, smashing the bow and several bones.

The sorceress, wide eyed, began to walk towards the two. Her spell had already fizzed out. When she reached them, the larger man had wrestled the bandit to the ground and was reciting another speech. It was her turn to grimace.

"I think that's enough."

He paused, looked up at her, noticing how little her outfit left to the imagination, and stood up and blushed. The bandit, squashed and pain ridden, crawled away from the crazy people who had managed to defeat his gang.

"Hello, Fellow Justice lover," The young man beamed at her.

_Justice lover? What the hell...? _She sighed once more and gave him a weak wave and smile. He seemed nice enough. But, some things were bothering her, and not just the obnoxious speeches.

"What were you doing out here?" she rattled off more questions, "And what was with the speeches? And how did you defeat those guys? And what's my reward for saving your ass?"

He continued to beam at her, though his smile diminished slightly.

"Well, you see Miss..."

_Sigh _"Naga."

He grinned, liking her name and unpretentious way of speaking, liking even her attitude and outfit. She sure was different.

"Miss Naga, I'm on a training mission. There's a village up ahead that needs my help with a group of evil demons that have been terrorizing the poor villagers. As a defender of the good, I must..."

Naga began to ignore him, already wishing that he'd just shut up.

"...and the heavens demand that I defeat evil, using words and persuasion, and if I must, my fists. I will do whatever it takes to further the cause of justice, even if I have to break my vow of pacifisism..."

She sighed, wishing she had just continued on her way.

"...justice. As for you reward.."

Naga's eyes snapped open, awakened from her light doze.

"..I'm afraid I don't have any money on me. I spend it all on my trip." Still cheery, not noticing the sorceress's left eye twitching, the disguised royalty continues to ramble.

"But,when we get to the village, I'll be able to buy you dinner.."

The leather-garbed woman's eye twitched further._Is this jerk actually trying to hit on me? After all that?_ She began to recite another spell.

"...the mayor there said my stay there would be free. As would all my expenses, of course, I'd never want toabuse that privilege."

Naga grinned, spell and bad feelings forgotten. _All expenses paid?_ She had gotten her reward after all. Maybe this was her 'just' reward.

"And, I could pay for your stay as well. You could help me defeat those evil creatures!" He paused and looked at her, hoping that she would agree to go with him. He was,well, intrigued.

She appeared deep in thought. _A free stay in a decent inn and a nice meal? That would make all this worth it._ Naga grinned and shook his hand.

"It's a deal, Mister...?"

Relieved and happy, the man smiled "It's Phillionel, but you can call me Phil."

"Alright," She nodded, though not quite liking how eager he seemed. _What a creep..Sigh. What a girl has to go through just to get a decent meal...Where's my prince charming on a white horse?_ "Did you walk all the way through the forest, Phil?"

"Nope, my horse...,"He whistled and a large, brilliant white horse stepped out behind several dark tree. It snorted and shook it's large head.

"That's my horse, Flaming Justice," he whistled again and the horse came trotting towards the two.

Naga's eye twitched, feeling a headache coming on. _Man, there goes my dream. At least he isn't a prince..._Small comfort, but it helped. She smiled weakly at Phil, hoping this trip wasn't going to be too painful.


	2. Maybe Phil should be the one inthe dress

**Don't push me cause i'll fall in love  
with whatever you just said  
don't push me cause i'll fall in love  
with the way you wear your head  
out in the corner  
you're glowing white**

**Nada Surf 'The way you wear your head'**

* * *

Naga could never be considered the most patient of people. Her temper was short and there rarely was a day that went by when she didn't blow something up. All her life people had been telling her to slow down, calm down, and wait a little. Her mother had done her best to try and teach her breathing exercises and counting backwards from ten.

So far, she had counted backwards from ten over half a million times, and had grown very tired of the sound of her own breathing.

Phil had been talking non-stop since they had met this morning.

After thirty minutes, her hands began to clench and unclench, after forty minutes, she remembered all the ways to try and calm down. Her eyes began to twitch after another ten and began to see red. Naga was near breaking point. If this idiot didn't stop ranting on and on she'd..

"Miss Naga, I think we should stop for lunch?" Phil's loud, booming voice echoed through the entire forest, scaring away the nearby wildlife.

Naga managed to unclench her hands, barely noticing the cuts on her palm from her nails.

"Alright," She forced her voice to remain steady. "That sounds alright."

Phil gave her a wide grin, making her feel wary and unable to even fake a smile. The large man had nearly been smiling the whole time. It was beginning to make her nervous. She still wasn't sure if he was a creep or a nice guy.

He had seemed nice enough, but now Naga was half convinced that she was travelling with an escaped loony.

Meanwhile, the before mentioned loony was very impressed and even smitten with his new friend. She was completely different from the nobles he usually came in contact with. They all seemed to have hidden agendas and there was a lot of betrayal that even Phil couldn't ignore. All that stress and pressure was one of the main reasons why he had decided to go on this journey to right wrongs and dispense justice.

His father hadn't been the most supportive of his choose to leave, even temporarily. Eventually, Phil had managed to convince (nagged the hell out of) Eldoran. Although it was customary for the teenagers to go on training journeys, rarely did any royalty do such things. The king had decided to give in to Phil's pleas and allowed him to leave for the small village on the outskirts of Saillune.

This whole trip had been refreshing for the prince. Too long had he been cooped up inside the palace, like a trapped bird. Once he was away from the castle, Phil had been able to experience what being a plain commoner was like. Instead of wearing regal robe with Saillune's crest embroidered onto it, he wore loose blue pants,a white shirt and matching armour. The dagger than Naga failed to notice was the only thing that had his families insignia on it.

Thinking about what he had left behind and why he'd left made his usually interior sunshine dry up. The last conversation he'd had with his father made his palms begin to sweat and his throat close up. The issue of marriage had recently become a major topic of conversation around the palace and Phil's dinner table. Nearly every night his family was all together, the issue of marriage and relationships had arisen. His father refused to listen to Phil's excuses about not being able to find anyone 'interesting'.

Girls had never even been mentioned before the King's last birthday. His father seemed to hardly care over whom his sons dated or where interested in. But, Eldoran had come to grips with his own mortality and age. He had suddenly become concerned with passing on the kingdom to his elder son as well as wanting to see his grandchildren before he died. The topic couldn't have been more embarrassing for the boys.

Especially for Phil.

He thought he would just about _die_ every time marriage and children came up. Sure he wanted kids, lots of them in fact. And he was looking forward to one day getting married. The problem was that no woman had 'caught his fancy' as his father would have put.

During parties and balls, many woman had been introduced to him. None seemed interested in actually talking to himInstead, they seemed more concerned about money and status. None of the woman enjoyed listening to him talk about justice and his rants about pacifistand right and wrong. In other words, no woman actually liked _him_.

Naga was different from them. She didn't try to cover up how she felt, didn't question his status or how much money he had. She was dark, dressed inappropriately and used black magic, something he had rarely even seen before. She was a smart ass, seemed to enjoy blowing up bandits and could be both graceful and strangely awkward. And that laugh…But, Naga was also the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

She was a goddess and Phil didn't think he would be able to get her out of his head anytime soon. He wasn't sure if he even wanted to forget her. Those cold blue eyes that seemed to gaze straight into his very soul…

His father would've been happy. His eldest son had finally found someone 'interesting'.


	3. You disgust me so much Marry me

**she's already a nervous wreck,  
I don't do it every day,  
It doesn't hurt me anyway,  
Why are you so mean to me?  
you'll regret eventually,  
**

**Nada Surf 'Why Are You So Mean To Me'**

**

* * *

**

While Phil was busy experiencing puppy-love for the first time, the black sorceress was wondering how the hell she could get out of helping him defeat those monsters. No free dinner or room was worth this.

Even as they ate, Phil had rambled on and on about where he had come from. Naga had heard enough about Saillune and Phil's opinion on nearly every subject under the sun.

Phil was one of the most annoying people he had ever met. She had always believed her laugh was loud (in a good way, though) but when he bellowed out laughter at something odd he had said-small animals ran for shelter. Naga began to wonder who had told him about that whole super-hero thing he seemed to be trying to go for. Too many fairy tales when he was young, she supposed. Even his horse annoyed her at this point. He had offered to let her ride the large beast, but Naga had declined, neglecting to mention that she didn't know how to ride a horse. Phil, chivalrous as he was bulky, had refused to ride the horse as well.

"You know, I think we're nearing the village. What was the name of this place anyway?"

Trying his best to be helpful, Phil pulled out a map and began scanning it.

"I think we're in Rockville."

Naga, sweat dropped "Rockville?"

"Apparently. Have you heard of it?" A thought occurred to the prince. "What were you doing out in this forest in the first place?"

She glanced at him ."No to the first question and I'm a travelling mercenary."

"A travelling mercenary?" Much to Naga's alarm, hearts appeared in her new 'friends' eyes. "Travelling from town to town, helping people, saving the innocent…you truly are a Warrior of Justice." Jubilantly, Phil began to grill her with questions. She barely had the chance to answer them.

"How long have you been following the path of light?"

"I've been…wait, the path of what?

"Of light of course."

"Alright." She decided to just smile and go along. Smile and nod…

"I've been 'following the path of light' for-"The tall woman stopped walking to think "About six years now."

Phil looked at her wide-eyed.

"Six whole years? Don't you miss your family?"

Naga nodded sagely "Oh, yes. But sometimes," she sighed dramatically for effect. "Sometimes you have to sacrifice things for you know.. justice and light and all that good crap."

Those hearts that worried Naga, so, so very much appeared again in Phil's eyes.

"You're willing to do all that for justice? You're such a true defender of-"

Abruptly, Naga decided to change the conversation. "Say, isn't that a weird looking bird?"

Phil turned to look, allowing the woman besides him to make a face, groan weakly and clutch her head in her hands.

In retrospect, perhaps going along with him wasn't the best idea.

_God, the last thing I need is some hero-worshipper following me around like a puppy. _Her left eye at the thought. Why, oh why, couldn't she just find some nice guy with a little gold and a decent mansion. Naga was willing to admit that Phil was nice, (though she doubted if he had any money) he was one messed up individual.

After looking at the trees for several minutes and deciding that the bird had flown away, Phil turned back to Naga and began to engage her in conversation again.

"How old are you?"

"Twenty." She replied shortly, growing ever more uncomfortable with her travelling companion.

"Oh," he looked at her and his smile widened. "You're only a few years younger than me."

Naga glanced at Phil, growing irritated "You're how old?"

Grinning, the large man told her "Twenty-two."

She stared at him intently. With his chin whiskers, stocky build, and already bushy brows, he reminded her of an ogre. An ogre over twenty. She supposed he wasn't _too_ bad looking. Her mother always said that everyone had at least one nice feature. His hair, a few shades darker than her own, was spiky and seemed rather soft. His eyes were nice too. A pleasantly dark blue.

Naga shook her head, feeling a sharp and pounding headache approaching. The breeze gently blew past, causing her cape to blow away from her body. Rubbing one temple distractedly, she wondered how far away the village was. She had spent so much time with this guy that she was beginning to stand his company. A few more hours and she might even like him and a few more days, (gods help her) might even not mind that puppy dog look he had been giving her for the last half hour.

Phil began to look at her, growing concerned. His friend seemed distracted and slightly mad, over what he didn't know. That last thing he wanted was for her to be upset at him. The sight of those cold eyes on him made his knees feel weak and his stomach twitch oddly._ Butterflies, _the prince thought and his stomach gave another twinge.

_She really was something_, Phil sighed deeply at the sight of her, wind blowing her cape and long hair away from her body. He grinned at her sheepishly when she noticed him looking at her. Naga glared at him sharply, making his gaze drop to his feet.

The shapely sorceress felt her face grow hot. And turned to look at the sunset. They had spent most of today walking and she could feel her feet growing tender by the minute. She shifted, heard leaves crunch underfoot and began to speed her pace up.

Once he saw her walking, nearly jogging, Phil hastened to catch up. His stomach and knees still felt funny, but he was beginning to enjoy it. He wondered suddenly what she'd look like in one of those fancy dresses that the woman at the palace liked to wear. The prince grinned. Naga in one of those poofy,girly, _pink _dresses would be quite a site. He wasn't sure if he'd prefer her in her leather outfit (although he _did _like the skin she was revealing) or something more modest. _Miss Naga would look rather cute in a frilly outfit_, Phil decided, _but she probably wouldn't like wearing it. _

After spending a few minutes imagining her living in the castle and how his friends, family and the counsel would react, the robust young man realized that he was becoming quite ahead of himself. He doubted if Naga was even interested in him. She probably felt the same way that those other woman did towards him.

Despite himself, Phil was still drawn to her. He hoped that she would continue to travel with him for awhile. Naga was nice company and he'd bet that she'd be great at destroying those monsters. And after that…who knew? Perhaps he could continue travelling after sending a message to his father.

As the prince mused about how he felt towards the tall woman nearby, Naga had noticed smoke overhead. Feeling relieved, she began to run closer to the source of the flames. She smelled cooking meat near and began to salivate. Lunch seemed to have been ages ago.

Naga felt her heart lift as soon as she saw the village's wooden gate. Finally, she was free…but then why did she suddenly feel disappointed? Sighing, the woman knew why. She had grown fond of Phil and his attention. Even his stupid voice and horse didn't seem to bad.

She wondered again how she could get out of helping Phil destroy those monsters, but this time with a slightly heavier heart.

* * *

Writing this sure has been surprisingly fun and easy. I expected it to be a struggle to type every paragraph, but instead everything came together easily. The next chapter should be written tomorrow hopefully. 


	4. You look like I need a drink

**I walked into a strange cafe  
no one there's ever heard my name  
I go to the bar, have a seat  
talk to that woman sittin next to me**

she'll ask me in a voice so low  
she ask me if I come in here alone  
she ask me nicely, "Can I buy you a drink?"  
you know I think she likes me that's what I think  
I think she likes me that's what I think

she listens to every word I say  
I look at her, she don't look away  
I tell her that I play for treat her right  
she ask me if I'm gonna play tonight 

**Morphine 'I Think She Likes Me'**

* * *

The small village wasn't much. A general store/tavern, blacksmith, tiny temple and inn, and few houses were all it could boast of having. But to Naga, it was gorgeous. The dirty, washed out buildings full of dirty, washed out people reminded her of her hometown. But instead of dwelling on that, she decided to focus on the restaurant where the delicious smells of cooking meat were coming from.

She paused in her inspection of the town to check her purse. Phil had offered to pay for her meal and stay, but right now Naga didn't want to spend any more time with the justice-freak. Most of her travel had been done alone. And all of her previous travelling companions hadn't stuck around long enough for her to grow attached to them. Naga had never been much of a people person and few people ever really grew attached to her.

Phil, unfortunately, was one of those few people.

Naga knew that the large man she was travelling with was fond of her. Plenty of guys liked her, every time she went into a tavern she was reminded of that fact. Ever since she turned fifteen guys had been hitting on her. Naga half-believed she had heard every pickup line ever said.

This guy though…he seemed sincere. The thought of Phil trying to come on to her was enough to make her burst out laughing. He might look a bit like a bandit, but the burly guy was a gentleman at heart.

In the end, Naga decided to push those thoughts away and eat her fill (_Phil_) at the restaurant.

After finally reaching the place he had been striving for, Phil was disappointed. Not at the size of the town, he honestly believed in the 'don't judge a book by it's cover' saying. The prince didn't want his adventure to end. Life outside the palace was more interesting that he'd thought it to be. His brothers had teased him about this trip, saying that he'd be back after a few hours on his own. Phil had lasted longer than a few house and was currently half in love with the woman a few yards ahead of him.

As he watched her dig around in her purse after inspecting a squat building, Phil noticed how pale she was despite all those hours she had spent in the sun. He saw how dark her hair was and how her cape flapper heroically in the breeze. Those light blue eyes that reminded him of a hawk or wildcat looked up and down the street, carefully avoiding his eyes.

Phil sighed, feeling warm inside and at peace, trying to ignore that tugging thought of how she felt about him. Instead, he focused on that tingly feeling in his stomach and where she was headed.

Naga gave the town another once over, avoiding Phil's gaze, and headed toward her destination. Food, (hopefully good) and (god willing) lots of alcohol awaited her. A huge meal followed by several jugs of wine would make that little voice in her head go away. Right now she could've strangled _that _little fucker with a cheerful grin. Naga already was quite aware of how Phil looked at her, like a hopeful little puppy, and didn't need a reminder.

With a pang, the tall woman tried to imagine the look on his when she broke the news to him. She glanced over at his shoulder, watched him try up his horse by the village gate, and wondered how he would take the news. _Tears? _If she didn't know him any better, Naga would have laughed the thought of him weeping over her off. However, she did know how expressive Phil could be.

_Would there be tears or just dry sobbing? _Naga winced, hating the idea of Phil starting a huge scene that would draw the villagers out of their houses. For the hundredth time, she wished she hadn't stumbled upon those bandits. Sure, Phil was nice, but…

It was clear he liked her and probably wanted a relationship. Right now she didn't need that sort of thing. Naga was strong, independent and needed no one! She was a great sorceress and soon everyone would know her name and all the spells she had invented. No one could resist her charms. Wincing, Naga remembered teasing Phil a little when they'd first met. Calling him 'big guy'. Sometimes, she just didn't know what went through her head.

The tavern/restaurant was nearly empty. Naga cursed her luck and wished there was a huge crowd of people. Lots of people meant she could escape Phil and leave without him later. Five people sitting around, drinking cheap ale and playing cards offered little distraction. Cursing again, she walked over to the bar and sat in one of the rickety seats. Naga could hear the men mumbling amongst themselves, probably about her. She knocked on the counter of the bar and told the toothless bar tender that she needed a drink. A large one. After a few seconds, she heard the clomping of heavy boots. Naga sighed and told the bar tender to make it a double. Phil sat heavily down besides her, making the stool creak from the weight. The sorceress rubbed her temple and ordered the bar tender to hurry up.

Besides her, Phil laughed and ordered the same. Naga's right eye twitched and imagined a drunk Phil, standing on a table and ranting about justice and perhaps even his love for her. She bit her cheek, wide-eyed and glanced at him.

"You know, I ordered alcohol." She wagged a finger at him. "This isn't a kiddy drink."

Phil blinked at her, as wide-eyed as she had been a mere second ago.

"You drink?"

Coolly, she responded. "Of course."

"But, but alcohol is a source of evil! Miss Naga, I expected more from you." He looked at her sternly.

Naga suddenly wondered if he'd act this way with his kids one day. A bunch of little boys and girls with dark hair and blue eyes….

Phil and the bar tender looked at her, surprised. Neither of them knew what had caused the woman head to smash her own skull into the counter with such force.

A few minutes later, Naga raised her head out of the remains of the bar counter. Kids, Phil's kids to be more exact. She had been thinking about _Phil's _future children. _His_ _kids_. Groaning, she grabbed the drink the bar tender had left there before leaving to a safer distance. She glared at Phil, noticing him staring at her both amused and bewildered . If she'd been in a better mood, Naga would have rolled her eyes and dismissed him. Instead, she glared at him, wondering what why he was suddenly blushing.

_She has the most beautiful eyes…_Even when she _glared_ at him, he still felt all tingly inside. Naga, he decided, was moody, unpredictable and even more beautiful when she was mad. The sorceress looked like a cat when she was upset, eyes narrowed and almost animal-like. Phil suddenly toyed with the idea of how she looked when she slept. Gentle and innocent, with her fist tucked under her chin? Or drooling, sprawled out on the bed? His face felt hot and grabbed the glass in front of him with a not-quite-steady hand.

After downing the entire glass in one shot, stunning Naga, Phil realized that alcohol wasn't very pleasant. His eyes itched and watered, his throat burned and the room spun around in a half-hearted circle. Phil managed to put the glass back onto the counter without accident, though he nearly missed the counter entirely and his head was beginning to feel rather tender.

"Are you okay?" Nervously, Naga looked at the prince.

Phil scratched his head sheepishly, and grinned.

"I guess I should stick to the kiddie drinks."

Naga laughed, surprising herself and causing Phil to beam at her. She gave him a lazy grin that quickly became a frown. _God, we were nearly flirting._ Her stomach gave an unpleasant twinge once she noticed him looking at her, his eyes solemn and dark.

"Alright?" His tone, low and gently, caused her heart to race alarmingly.

Her face flushed an attractive shade of red.

Phil continued to look at her concerned. Although he thought she looked gorgeous with her face all red and her hair pleasantly mussed, the prince decided not to tell her so.

Naga cleared her throat, face still hot. "Don't you have to see the mayor about something?"

Phil gaped at her. "Oh, I almost forgot!" He slapped his forehead theatrically. The large man jumped off the chair with a flourish and began to walk towards the entrance of the tavern.

"No matter how much I enjoyed out time together, I must depart in the name of justice. Our paths will cross again though, fate declares it!" Phil posed dramatically. "Actually, " his voice dropped back to a more normal decibel "Do you want to accompany me?"

The tall woman, only a few inches shorter than he, shook her head.

"No thanks. I'd prefer to just relax for the time being."

Phil nodded, feeling rather tired himself "Well, than, I'll see you later. Are you going to get a room at the tavern?"

Naga nodded, looking into her half empty glass.

"Do you want me to get the mayor's permission to-"

She cut him off "No, I can pay for it myself. You just go talk to the mayor." Naga waved him off.

Phil gave her another smile, this one more nervous than his other ones and continued toward his way outside.

He paused in the door way, and turned to look at her.

"Miss Naga?"

The sorceress looked at him

"I really." Phil cleared his throat. "I enjoyed your company during this trip very much. Thanks for coming along." His eyes frank and sincere, met hers. Phil and Naga looked at each other for a few seconds, then the large man left the tavern, his movement slightly awkward.

After she heard his footstep slowly fade away, Naga turned from the doorway and abruptly drank the rest of her drink in two large gulps. Had he said that he'd enjoyed her company? Their time together?

Naga knew she should be upset or chagrined, but knowing she should feel differently didn't stop a small smile from arising on her face.

Thanks for everyone who reviewed. You guys make it all worth the tired fingers and aching wrists.

The next chapter:

Phil meets up with the mayor and Naga discovers something that completely changes her outlook on life. Sort of.


	5. Prince's Suck

**And I hope the junkyard a few blocks from here  
Someday burns down  
And I hope the rising black smoke carries me far away  
And I never come back to this town  
Again in my life  
**

**Mountian Goats 'No Children'**

* * *

The smells of alcohol and cigar smoke were very thick in the small tavern. Naga wrinkled her nose is distaste, but made no comment to the bar tender or the men playing cards a few yards away from her. She drank a little more out of her glass and tried not to think about who had just left the bar.

The sorceress looked deeply into her glass, as though contemplating the meaning of life. This whole town was depressing. It reminded her of the place where she had been born and grew up in. That little burg…

As she leaned backwards to stretch out her back, she overheard the men at the table nearby talking. Gossiping to be more exact. Naga heard the words 'prince' from one of them and glanced nonchalantly at them. They were huddled up, discussing something quietly (a remarkable feat considering how much alcohol they'd consumed), cards forgotten momentarily.

Naga sipped her drink and took little looks around the room occasionally as she listened in on the nearly-intoxicated men. One of them, this one wearing a faded brown hat atop his balding head, mumbled something about Saillune's capital. Another whispered the words 'travelling' and then 'prince.' The tall woman, feeling something close to dread in her bones, leaned backwards a bit.

As the five men talked amongst themselves for a few more seconds, Naga leaned backwards a bit more. A prince? From Saillune's capital? She had no idea why anyone would want to come all the way from a place like Saillune to a shitty town such as this. No one in their right mind…

Wait, right mind? Whom did she know that was crazy, a traveller, and someone on a mysterious mission from Saillune. She dropped her glass, spilling the remains of it all over the already dirty counter (that had a strange head-shaped hole) and spun around in her chair. The stool, already under stress, gave out one last miserable creak that sounded like a moan before breaking and dropping the sorceress on her behind.

As Naga hit the dirty ground of the tavern, Phil was busy discussing monsters with the mayor of this town. The short, white-haired man was telling the prince how bad things had gotten. They were at the older man's home, a modest two-story house complete with a white picket fence that needed painting.

* * *

"The children! Every few days we lose another one and no one will, _can_, help us."

Phil nodded, feeling anxious and as upset as the mayor. These monsters were taking children! Innocent little kids! The whiskered man could feel his blood boiling with righteous anger. Those fiends would pay!

"I promise you, good mayor, that I will not stop until those monsters have faced justice." He clenched his fist and posed dramatically. "In fact, I found a sorceress who would gladly help us…"Phil blushed and sheepishly looked at his hands._ Miss Naga…_

The mayor, (whose name was actually Mister Claw Swill, Phil had forgotten) waved a hand at the younger man. "That will not be needed. I've already hired a sorcerer for this trip." The small man beamed. "He's the best. The neighbouring villages' mayors have used him to rid themselves of their demons." Those demons, unknown to Claw Swill, were other politicians opposing the mayor.

The door nearest to the two men opened unexpectedly. Outstepped a man dressed completely in black, his hair a eye-bleeding shade of red, was short and spiky. One of his eyes was covered with an eye-patch and the other was as clear and bright blue as Naga's were. Phil stared at him, missing his new crush and wondering how she was doing. He hoped she wasn't in any danger. Those men at the table had seemed a little shifty…

* * *

Naga grabbed the man's hat and attempted to shove it down his throat.

"What do you mean, the prince of Saillune is supposed to be here!" She snarled, eyes narrowed and fangs suddenly appearing in her mouth. All the men, thinking she looked dangerous and demonic, began to wonder if _this_ was one of the monsters.

One of the group, this one slightly overweight, began to stammer." He-This prince guy, he's supposed to be here any day now. The," He swallowed audibly. "The mayor managed to get him along with some weird sorcerer to help defeat those demons in the mountains."

The sorceress turned her wrath upon his and grabbed him by his shirt. "What sorcerer?"

His Adam's apple bobbed in his throat like a monkey on a stick. "This nasty guy. Wears all black. He came out of no where."

"Nasty guy.."Naga mused on this for a few seconds before remembering where she was and what she was doing. "What else do you know?" Her voice had dropped to a silky near-whisper.

"I, I think he might be some kind of…you know, assassin."

"Assassin?" Her eyes, half-lidded were entirely focused on the man in her tight grip.

"Yep…say, how about you and I-"He got no further as Naga slapped him, breaking his jaw with a loud crunch. The woman, clad in just a leather bikini, let the man fall to the ground.

"As assassin." She bit her lip, paying no attention to the moaning man on the floor trying to clutch his face. Instead, she began to head for the door.

Right before leaving the tavern, (now full of shocked, frightened people who'd heard the screaming) she turned to the people inside. More than five now due to all the commotion. Naga smirked and asked a terrified waitress where the mayor's house was.

The frightened girl whimpered and pointed to the left with a shaking hand.

"Thank you." _Polite as always. I'm such a good person to the hard working type _she thought, once again ignoring the moans and shouts behind her.

The black sorceress began to run towards the nicer houses in the small town, laughing her horrible laugh.

* * *

The red-haired man sweat dropped, something he'd never done before. The 'prince' he was supposed to take care of was very different than what he had expected. Instead of a willowy, blond, slightly effeminate young man, the assassin had gotten an ogre. Sure, he had heard of inbreeding with the royals but…

"How are you?" The prince guy was holding out a hand to him. Not wanting to, but unable to resist, the black-garbed man took his hand and gave it a firm shake that Phil returned with interest.

_This guy wasn't as scary as I'd thought. _Phil nearly hit himself. Sure wearing black was something bad people did, but Naga dressed in black as well. And he knew it was wrong to judge a book by it's cover. Plus, this guy had eyes like Miss Naga…

While Phil day dreamed a little bit over the leather-wearing woman he's met earlier that day, the dark sorcerer looked to the mayor.

"Is he always like this?"

"I really don't know. We just met.."

The red-haired man sighed. "Of course. "

* * *

Naga took a deep breathe, relishing the cool night air. The night was perfect. The stars were clearly visible and as she glanced up, the woman noticed some of the constellations. _This whole town is soooo much nicer at night. _Naga thought, drowsily. _Damn, I should have had all that.. _

She took a few woozy steps forward before realizing she had no idea where to go. The mayor's? She couldn't find the tavern or the gate at this point. How she'd gotten lost was something she'd never know. Naga took another deep breathe and tried to get her bearings straight. Assassins? Phil, she decided after remembering those bandits they'd fought earlier, could take care of himself. He was a big boy…The tall, _drunk _woman giggled and managed to stagger to the large house with a sign proclaiming 'Inn.' Her new princely friend could wait until tomorrow. Right now, Naga needed her sleep.

As Naga drunkenly paid for her stay at the inn (that was only two houses away from the mayor) Phil was trying to talk to the sorcerer. So far, the dark man had revealed very little besides his name, which was Hallos.

Hallos, meanwhile, was experiencing something Naga could've related to. He had to put his shaking hands in his pockets in order to stop from strangling the prince. _Not now,_ Hallos re-assured himself, _wait 'till tomorrow. Tomorrow._

As Phil began to tell Hallos about how he felt about the monster's nefarious deeds, the shorter man dug his nails further into his palm. _Tomorrow…_


	6. She better tip well

**But i've drifted way too far my arms my legs have grown too tired  
And could you be inspired now i'm just tired  
And on a swing you push me hard  
So i'll come back to where you are  
And you know i'm never far no decisions nothing hard  
And i knew that it would ring tonight i'll take the bus or the next flight  
I won't give up on what feels right  
If you see these tears fill in my eyes  
It's just the wind that makes me cry  
If you could feel this pain inside  
It's from the drinks we drank last night **

**Azure Ray 'The Drinks We Drank Last Night'**

* * *

When Hallos arose the next day, his head was pounding like someone was using it as a drum. Slowly, he dragged himself out of bed and headed for the wash room. The sorceress stumbled through the halls, knocking down a few painting and sculptures along the way. Once Hallos reached the door he needed, only one thing stood in his way.

Phil, always up with the sun, had been awake for a while now. The prince had gotten dressed in clean clothes, (taken from the horses pack; he'd remembered Flaming Justice only a few hours ago) he had eaten breakfast (as quietly as he could in the breakfast nook), and cleaned up his room (the sheets hadn't been as neatly made as he'd wanted, but still…). All Phil needed was his travelling companions. And look, here one comes.

The near zombie-fied sorcerer was in no mood for happy-go-lucky princes. Almost involuntarily, he clenched his fist, digging his nails into his palm. Phil began to chatter about the day ahead of them as Hallos grit his teeth and tried to get past the large man. Eventually, the prince caught on to what the red-haired man wanted and allowed him to pass.

Meanwhile, just a few houses away from Hallos's woe, a sorceress slept unbothered. Her snores drowned out the frustrated cries of the black sorceress whose eyes shared a remarkable similarity to her own. She rolled over as Hallos began to yell at Phil to leave him alone. A frightened maid walking by her room tapped nervously on the door.

"Miss?"

Uninterrupted, the snores continued.

The maid sighed and pushed the cart in front of her a few feet forward. Today was going to be a long day. She only hoped this devil-woman would tip well.

Hallos wished he had never woken up. Better yet, he wished he had never taken this job. He could be anywhere else, killing an important member of the Elmekia family, taking out someone on the Board of Agriculture in Zelfielia, anything really. For a good assassin, the sky was the limits.

He couldn't wait to get rid of this guy. Wringing his neck wouldn't satisfy him any longer, nor would the original plan of causing an avalanche to trap Phil into the cave. No, after so many hours of listening to how wonderful Saillune was (all the things there were to do and see) and all about Phil's family (why was Randy so mean sometimes and how could Christopher be so good with woman? _He _was a nervous wreck around this woman he'd met yesterday). Phil had also asked Hallos plenty of questions concerning his previous work and what he thought of all this monster stuff.

_Soon_, he reassured himself, _just as soon as we get there. _Instead of killing him, Hallos helped pack Flaming Justice, listened to his problems and nodded along. He only truly paid attention to the part about the sorceress Phil was fond of. She could be a problem in the end. The prince had wanted to run to the inn and have her accompany them, but Hallos had talked Phil out of it.

"She's probably tired from the trip yesterday." He said in his most convincing tone." Besides, what young woman would like to go to a dark, damp cave full of monsters? This 'Naga' woman probably would hate it, and in turn, you."

Phil, still not entirely convinced, had wanted to check up on her.

"Sir, she's probably still asleep. Would you like to upset her by waking her up?" The prince winced at the harsh tone.

"Come on, we have…children to save."

That had gotten Phil moving.

Hallos wished that this sorceress had never met Phil. He didn't need the extra aggravation.

* * *

Naga too was having the same thought. Apparently during the night before, she'd (right before passing out), taken the time to order a huge, huge meal. And insisted they'd bring it all in even if she was asleep. God, sometimes Naga didn't know what went through her he-…

Dammit, were they bringing even _more_ food in? She clutched her head, feeling a huge migraine coming on. Why had she drunk so much? Stifling that little voice in her head hadn't been worth a hang over like this.

Stumbling, tripping and crawling at one part, Naga made it into the washroom. As she brushed her teeth in a feeble attempt to remove the taste of dirty and cheap liquor from her mouth (what the hell did she do last night?) Naga remembered the previous day. She swished water around in her mouth, smiling smugly when she recalled how Phil had acted around her. _Got him wrapped around my little fin–Oh, crap! That assassin! _

Naga spat out water, spraying the sink and mirror in the process. _Crap, oh, holy crap. _She grabbed her cape and shoulder guards and raced out of the room. After knocking over several maids, one hotel manager, two guests, the pool cleaner, and asking for direction twice, the leather-clad sorceress managed to leave the inn.

* * *

Phil whistled cheerful and looked around the forest path. Bunnies, rabbits and squirrels poked their little fuzzy heads out of holes and bushes to watch them. Deer even came out and walked alongside them for a few minutes. The prince made sure to wave to all of the animals, at sure that the world was a just, loving place.

Hallos wished he was dead. His eyes rolled back in his head and the pounding in his head wouldn't stop. This whole trip was turning out to be more painful than the time he'd been cut with a rusty sword. At least then he didn't have to listen to anyone's love problems. After this was done, Hallos planned to kill that sorceress for adding to his misery.

"So, I found out she drank. One day I hope she would stop. That's no way for a Warrior of Justice to go about…Say, that's a weird bird. I wonder if_ that_ was…"

The red-haired man lowered his head and wished for his agony to stop.

"She has the most beautiful eyes.."

Wishes sucked.

* * *

Rocks sucked. Naga managed to pull herself of the ground, aching all over. She cursed her own clumsiness, something she believed she had long since grown out of, and began on her way. Stopping at the fence which needed paint, Naga realized that she was the mayors home. The tall woman mentally patted herself on the back and began walking up to the door. She used to tarnished door knocker and waited patiently. After ten more minutes, Naga began to kick the door, cursing. After another five, she had knocked down the door and was looking all over the house. Nope, no one.

Naga tried to recall what Phil had said about his reason for being here. It was much harder than she expected (images of her strangling him kept popping up, distracting her thought process) but eventually, she remembered what he'd said. Something about monsters needing defeating. And dammit, he'd said that she could help! Her blood boiled with righteous anger, when she got her hands on that stupid, lying…prince? Naga's eyes widened, anger momentarily forgotten. Phil was some prince of Saillune.

Why hadn't he said anything? And why didn't he have any money on him when they'd met. Didn't he trust her with his true identity? Did he actually have money and was just holding out on her?

The sorceress felt strangely hurt. Why hadn't Phil trusted her? Alright, she sometimes looked suspicious, and she hadn't told him her full name or where she'd come from…but still! Naga could keep a secret. And she would've for him. She, well, _liked_ him. Had liked him.

Naga grimaced and began to walk out of the slightly damaged house. Oh, she'd find him. And when she did, pain would be brought down upon his spiky head. The tall woman grinned and began laughing. Windows broke and children cried, but Naga paid them no mind. _Oh, dear prince, you'd better hope that assassin gets to you first… _She began casting Ray Wing.

The 'dear prince' was oblivious to the danger surrounding him. Instead, he was busy feeding some birds a few pieces of dried bread and thinking about Naga (a woman currently out for his blood).

* * *

_I hope she won't be mad at me. _Phil frowned, his hand still breaking the bread into smaller pieces. _I'd hate for her to be upset._ The large young man imagined how she'd look upset. Her gorgeous eyes narrowed, hair rumbled and spilling down her back in curling waves of ebony, muscles pulled taunt…

He scattered the remaining pieces of dry bread with a flushed face. Maybe her being angry at him wasn't the worst thing in the world.


	7. Rats with wings

**I've been downhearted baby  
Ever since the day we met **

**Primitive Radio Gods 'Standing Outside A Broken Phone Booth With Money In My Hand '**

_

* * *

_

_Those birds didn't know what hit 'em. _Naga took little satisfaction in that thought. She'd been flying around for at least an hour or so. Not sign of Phil, the mayor guy (His name was Claw Swill, though no one seemed to care) and that assassin. Suddenly, both a bird and a thought hit her in the head. As she slapped the cawing black bird away (rats with wings, in Naga's opinion), she realized that she knew nothing about this assassin. In fact, this killer could be a woman! Naga swatted the bird away as flame surrounded her. A woman. A woman with _her _Phil. The sorceress saw red.

Slowly, she managed to regain something resembling calmness. Naga straightened her fingers, took a few deep breathes. Alright, Phil wasn't technically hers. But, he liked her! That had to account for something. And she'd seen the prince first. Even if he was a lying scum bag…

And, yes, she didn't know that the assassin was a woman.

All she knew at this point was that her new friend was going to pay. Gold and blood would fly. She'd have his head on a platter. His arms would be force fed to him and his lying hide would be skinned and thrown into a vat of acid. Phil would regret ever meeting her, regret ever being born.

Then she'd make him suffer.

The prince looked around the rocky, grassless mountains. Everything was grey, drab and looked lifeless. Yes, monsters definitely lived here.

Hallos breathed the cold air deeply, relieved and quite happy. Finally, he could do his job. And with a large smile on his face no less. The image of Phil's broken (and quiet, so very nice and quiet) empty face allowed Hallos to grin cheerfully and gave him energy to continue surviving.

First, he's lure the royal, endlessly talking brat into the cave, then the mayor. Soon after, he'd bring the whole mountain down. After a short victory dance, Hallos would take a long drought from his nearly empty flask and search for the prince's body. He needed the head to get his pay.

The mayor (Claw Swill) looked nervously at the large cavern they were to enter. He bet it was full of bats, many bats. And snakes. And even more horrible things. He pulled out his own flask and took a look drink.

Phil grinned and radiated cheerfulness. It had taken then all of the morning, but they'd finally reached their destination. Now justice could be dealt, children saved and then wonderful sorceresses to see and follow around like a puppy.

But, first things first. The burly man turned to the trembling mayor and looked at him concerned.

"Are you alright sir?"

"Yes," He laughed shakily. "I've just never been this frightened before."

Behind them, Hallos began to cackle manically. The two other gentlemen turned to look at him. The red-haired man cleared his throat and tried to regain his dignity.

"I'm just…very happy."

Sweat dropping, the mayor and Phil nodded and said 'Sure' at the same time before turning back to the cave to discuss tactics. Hallos grinned devilishly. _Oh, mayor Claw Swill, you haven't seen frightened just yet. _

Elsewhere, a cursing, leather-garbed woman stumbled her way through a group of stubbly (and thorny) bushes. Thorny bushes were her curse it seemed. Her cape was full of holes despite the protection spells woven into the heavy fabric and her high-heeled boots did nothing to help her balance. Oh, how she hated forests.

Birds had attacked her repeatedly, then she'd run into a group of man-eating spiders. After escaping their webs with a few handy fireballs, Naga had run into a bear. Then a bear trap. Thankfully, her healing spells were still as good as ever. In fact, she was quite good at White Magic. Her mother had wanted her to become a cleric at a temple (perhaps in Saillune) but Naga had always wanted to explore.

Anyway, Naga was good at her White Magic.

_Damn bushes,_ she angrily shoved them aside and avoided an extremely large growth of poison oak. Her gloves were worse for wear and she decided that Phil would pay for those too. Maybe she's turn his acid-burned hide into a nice pair of fashionable gloves.

They'd be both stylish and good for everyday uses. People would compliment her on them, and when asked, she'd laugh tell them she had gotten them from the Saillune Royal–A thick patch of poison ivy Naga had missed caused her to fall…straight into the huge patch of poison oak she'd been trying to avoid.

Laying there, feeling itchy already, Naga wished she could ring her prince's neck. _Prince on a white horse, indeed._ Oh, how she'd make him suffer.

The shapely woman would slap him around a bit, kick his ribs in. If he was good, Phil could help her rub some ointment onto her itchy back and stomach, Then she'd beat him within an inch of his life. After that, they could get a drink together or something.

Naga smiled, feeling that increasingly familiar warmth in her chest.

_And we wouldn't go Dutch either. He'd damn well better pay.

* * *

_

While Naga plotted her date with Phil (plotted is truly what it was), Hallos plotted something much more sinister than a date. Phil and the mayor took a few steps further into the cave, eyeing the narrow cavern and the low ceiling. It was indeed as bad as the mayor feared. Bats covered the walls and hung upside down from the ceiling as rats and snakes slithered under their feet.

The air was damp and smelled of rotting meat and wild animals. Every step they took causing the rock beneath to crumbling and puffs of dust rose. There were of course no monsters. The children had been sold to another kingdom far away. The trap, set up by the man Hallos had been hired by, had been easily pulled off. All the killer had to do was release a few spells and the whole place would come down. Easy as pie.

Hallos began the incantation for a Gaav Flare.

Naga stared at the small figure in the distance before rubbing her eyes, sure it was a mirage. She took a few steps toward the large, white horse tethered to a tall rock. The aloof, usually sarcastic sorceress wiped the tears of joy streaming down her face and began to climb down from the tree.

Her thighs hurt from shimmying up several trees to scan the green forest and she was tired. Tired and dirty and pissed. Her palms were covered with sticky tree sap and she swore again that she'd make Phil pay for all the damage done to her. He would buy her lots of new, shiny accessories, then dinner and lots of alcohol. Good food from a nice, classy restaurant. Good, fine, warm wine.

Naga planned to get so hammered she didn't remember her own name. She sure as hell didn't want to remember today. Oh, and excellent. It was beginning to rain. Naga quickly let go of the tree, recalling what people said about trees and lightning, and used Levitation to fly to the horse.

It had the same nicely maintained saddle, complete with two fine leather saddlebags. The horse's hind legs were covered with mud, but Flaming Justice still had that quiet dignity. As much as a horse with a name like that could have anyway.

She nearly went through Phil's bags before deciding to find the liar. Justice would be dealt on his betraying (but still rather sweet and cute) ass. Wait, what? Phil's…rather sweet and cute…

Her mind went blank for a few minutes while hail and sleet rain down upon her. The wind tore at her hair and cape and the remnants of her gloves were torn from her very hands. But it was still a while before her mind began to work again.


	8. Claw Swill! ClawSwill! Damn You!

**Clowns to left of me jokers to the right here am I stuck in the middle with you.  
Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you and I'm wondering what it is I should do.  
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face losing control, I'm all over the place**

**Stealer's Wheel 'Stuck in the middle with you'**

* * *

The horse nudged her gently, causing her to jump. She stroked its head absently and wondered where its owner was. _Around here somewhere. _

Naga looked around the grassy field, trying to determine where her prey had gone off to. The mountains loomed ominously in the background and rocky hills surrounded the clearing. She grinned and flashed Flaming a Victory sign.

"He's somewhere in those mountains, isn't he?"

The horse stared at her with its mild eyes.

"OHOHOHOHOHOH."

Rocks crumbled and one of the smaller hills nearby collapsed

The tall, very wet woman was undaunted. She'd run into Phil soon, of this she was certain. No one ever escaped Naga The Sorceress! Too long had she been looking for him to just allow him to escape her clutches. Eventually, Naga would find their little merry group.

She took off for the general area she expected the prince to be in, occasionally slipping in mud, and laughing her horrible laugh.

* * *

Prince Phil looked out towards the opening of the cave. The stalagmite and stalactite crumbled and fell as one of his broad shoulders whammed into one of the walls. The mayor let out a little moan and covered his head as bats flew overhead. He heard Hallos mumbling something from where he stood, still a few feet ahead of the entrance before suddenly curse as a rock smashed into his skull.

Phil sweat dropped and began to make his way to the black dressed sorcerer. He paid special attention to where he was going. Although he wasn't a big fan of snakes and other slivering things; it would be unforgivable if he stepped on them. A Hero of Justice didn't do such things, even accidentally.

It was just his luck. Right when he'd been about to finally rid himself of that horrible prince. The silence that followed his demise would be golden. But then this sound…a screeching _something _had come out of no where and dislodged the rocks hanging above. He'd managed to avoid getting smashed by the larger boulders, but a small rock still smashed into his cranium. He was also in a muddy puddle.

As Hallos lay there, he wondered if karma was real. Then Phil had lumbered out and the red-haired man knew he had done something horrible in either his past or present life to deserve this.

"Mister Hallos!" The big man boomed. The nearly comatose man grimaced and nearly swallowed his tongue as more rocks fell upon him from Phil's yelling. A half-dozen or so small boulders fell onto his chest and stomach.

The prince shoved them off of the sorcerer and helped him to his feet. Hallos wobbled alarmingly but managed to maintain his dignity somewhat. He brushed dirt from his sleeve and tried to ignore how wet and stained his pants were.

"Alright?"

Hallos nodded weakly, still unable to find his voice.

Phil laughed genially and slapped his new 'friend' on the back. The force of his blow caused Hallos to go flying onto the side of the mountain.

_I'll get him…_More rocks fell on his already badly battered head.

* * *

Naga stopped laughing to regain her breath. It had taken awhile, but she had managed to make her way to the top of a medium sized mountain. Everything was going well. The tall, barely dressed woman had gotten a second wind, her head felt clear (the throbbing headache caused either by the alcohol consumed last night or by the whole situation she was stuck in had left her) and her feet no longer hurt. It had even stopped raining.

The clear mountain was wonderful compared to the stench of sap from the pine tree in the forest. Naga inhaled slowly as she in took in her surroundings.

Tall mountains, squat rocky hills and a great view of the forest below.

Dreamily, still gazing down below, she readjusted her shoulder guards and remains of her cape. After all, she wanted to look nice when she opened her can of whoop ass upon the prince.

Why had Phil lied to her? She sat there, not knowing the man she was thinking about wasn't far away. On her face was a sullen pout that would've made Phil blush to the tips of his ears. A light breeze made her torn and ragged cape rise and fall lazily.

Sure they had just met, but Phil wore his heart on his sleeve. You could read his face like a book. And she sure hadn't seen any mistrust or suspicion on Phil's mug. Naga gritted her teeth and through a rock towards a strange-shaped mountain. So busy trying to be furious at Phil, she barely registered the cry of pain that arose from the nearby mountains.

Naga looked up, shocked out of her thoughts. Her eyes narrowed and became slits of clear, light blue that her eldest daughter would inherit. She jumped up and began to cast Ray Wing.

The Gods were against him, of this he was sure. But they could shove their thumbs up their butts for all the assassin cared. He was tired, needed new clothes and a nice bath. (full of bubbles, of course) This job sucked completely; the pay wasn't even that great and the company was even worse.

* * *

As Phil had been helping him up again, apologizing like mad for the damage he had inflicted on the bruised and bleeding man, another rock had come completely out of nowhere. It had nearly cracked his head open and caused more brain damage.

_When this is over, I'm going to cut– _There, that was that horrible, horrible screeching…Was it a laugh?

"OHOHOHOHOHOH." Naga grinned and flashed the two the same Victory sign she had given Phil's horse.

"So, there you are _prince."_ She spat the last word as the larger man, who though shocked/amazed/dazed still winced at her tone. He hadn't wanted to lie to her, and wait…

"How did you find out, Miss Naga?" His eyes, wide and guileless, were trained upon the suddenly furious sorceress.

"I had to over hear it from some drunks at the bar…Why," She swallowed the lump that tasted of pennies reflexively. Suddenly, she felt like crying for no real reason.

"Why didn't you tell _me_?" Naga couldn't even muster up the energy to be angry. She looked at Phil nakedly, her resentment and hurt were clear on her pretty face. Behind them, unnoticed, Hallos snickered.

"Lover's spout?"

At the sound of his laughter and question, the two turned around and blushed.

"No! We're not…_that_. We're…,"She paused. What exactly were they?

"Friends? Close Friends?" Phil spoke up helpfully.

Naga shot him a glare hotter than a Dragon Slave, her anger remembered. "Partners. Short-lived partners."

"Suuure." Hallos responded, sceptically. "Partners." He rolled his eyes.

Snarling, Naga turned her wrath upon him.

"Shut the fu-Wait…Are you the assassin?"

The rather short man was taken aback, but decided to just come out about it. He looked at her evenly.

"Yes, I am."

Blankly, Naga looked at Hallos. "But, you're not a woman…"

"No, and I'm not sure you are either. " He answered coldly.

Now it was the prince's turn to be mad at Hallos. Phil turned to glare at Hallos, who sweat dropped and suddenly realized how very big and tall the black-haired man was…

Naga grinned. If Phil beat the crap out of this little weasel (although it looked like someone had already beaten them to the job), she'd forgive the whiskered prince. Maybe. She still wanted to crack him one across the skull for neglecting to mention his role with Saillune.

"Go get 'em Phil!"

Both of them looked at her confused.

"What?"

"I said, go get him Phil. This little bastard was sent to kill you. He's an _assassin._"She resisted pulling at her hair in frustration.

Hallos began to laugh.

"Oh, that's great. You think, " He giggled disturbingly "You think your little prince can defeat me?" Hallos grinned disarmingly. "You're very wrong, m'dear."

She gave him a feral smile. It had been too long since she'd beaten some little punk up.

"Wait, no! This is not the way problems should be solved. We should talk, not-"

"Shut up!" The two magic-users yelled at the pacifist-promoting Phil.

He looked at them with wounded eyes.

"Now, now there's no reason to fight."

"Phil," his 'partner' screamed at him. "This man," She pointed at Hallos. "It trying to kill you. Don't you get it?"

Prince Phil shifted uncomfortably. "Yes, I guess so, but he hasn't done anything. He's a Warrior of Justice like you!" He beamed at her, his grin lighting up his face in a way that made her want to slap him and give him a big hug at the same time.

Instead of doing either of those things, she rolled her eyes.

"Stay out of this, prince. This is between me and the pip squeak ("Hey," Hallos sputtered, outrage.),over there."

"But…"

"No buts." She smiled at him gently before waving him off. "Get out of here. I don't need any royal family pissed at me for messing up one of their princes. Besides, you still owe me."Naga gave him a little wink.

Phil, blushing a startling shade of red, managed to walk to the entrance of the cave where a terrified mayor still stood inside. He heard a shrill, girlish shriek from inside the cave. The prince realized where it was coming from and hurried inside to help Claw Swill.

"So…it's just you and me."

Hallos nodded and began chanting a spell. Naga, already prepared, was a split second quicker than the short man. She tossed a few Flare Arrows his way, hoping to at least catch him off guard. Hallos easily dodged the spell and hurdled a Fireball at the tall woman, hitting her.

The Fireball managed to nearly shatter her shoulder guards, but she was relatively unharmed. She ran back towards the mountain, whispering the incantation to a spell under her breathe. Only a few feet behind her, Hallos began to do the same.

She reached the side of the cave, the entrance was only a foot or so away to the left of her. Naga sincerely hoped that Phil was out of there. Unfortunately, there was no time to check. She finished the last words to her spell just as Hallos finished his. He ran at her, hoping for her to hesitate and give him the last seconds he need to escape after using his spell.

The leather-clad woman instead rushed to meet him, both yelling "Gaav Flare!" at the same time.

Their spells collided, messing together to create a huge inferno of miasma and flames. Naga rolled to her left, managing to find a little protection within the cave.

The mayor and Phil had already left the cave earlier and were heading down the hill. The prince had protested this vehemently, but the old man had insisted. If something happened, they needed to be safe. Especially Phil. It was times like this when he disliked (hated) being a prince.

After the fire had died down a reasonable degree, Naga stepped out of her shelter. She thanked all the Gods that the mountain hadn't collapsed on her. She also prayed that Phil was okay. The big guy managed to take care of himself so far, but who knew? _Yes, he needs a bodyguard. And I think I know the perfect person.. _

Naga wiped the soot and dirt from her body as best she could. Her cape was nearly gone, her shoulder guards badly cracked from the falling rocks and the fireball. The air smelled of burned flesh and hair and sulphur and Naga was determined not to look at where Hallos had been standing. Still, the sun was shining, birds were chirping and whoop ass could and would be served by her. The world wasn't too bad a place sometimes. Naga smiled and went to look for her prince.

A/N:

Yes, that was the end my wonderful readers (you know who you are).

I'd like to thank every who was willing to read a story centred around Phil and those who reviewed.

I do plan on writing a sequel. I already have the basic idea and some of the dialogue planned out. It's going to be about Naga adjusting to palace life and her new relationship with Phil. More assassins and the person who hired Hallos in the first place will be revealed (it was Flaming Justice!) as well as Phil's family actually being in a fan fiction (a rarity).

Beta readers/co-authors would be great. I hope everyone gained a bit more respect for the prince. (I know I did)

Here's where I get all mushy on your asses: This story was actually pretty emotional for me at some parts. When writing something from Naga's P.O.V, I would suddenly realize that 'Hey, she's going to eventually die. How depressing is that?' The scene in the bar and the very end of the story were pretty sad in retrospect because our tall heroes don't live happily ever after. They're a very different couple than a lot of fictional couples just from that fact alone.

And on that note, I leave you all (for now).


End file.
